Driver loses control of car on I-75, causing chain-reaction crash

NORTH FORT MYERS —
A driver lost control of his car Monday night on Interstate 75, causing a chain-reaction crash involving five other vehicles.

The multi-vehicle crash occurred at 9:22 p.m. on I-75 near the Slater Road overpass in North Fort Myers, Florida Highway Patrol reports show.

The FHP gives this account of the chain-reaction crash:

Orion Newberry, 20, of Ellenton, Fla., was driving his Toyota Camry south in the outside lane of the interstate when, for an unknown reason, he lost control of the car and crossed the inside lane of travel and entered the inside shoulder, where the front of his car struck the guardrail. Newberry’s car then rotated clockwise and came to final rest facing southwest on the outside shoulder, partially blocking the outside lane.

An auto transport truck, driven by Paul Stinson, 49, of Cape Coral, and hauling two vehicles, was traveling south on I-75 in the outside lane of travel when it swerved to the inside lane to avoid a collision with the Camry. The truck struck the guardrail, overturned in the median and came to final rest facing south.

A Ford Ranger pickup driven by Reinier Perez, 28, of Lehigh Acres, was traveling south on the interstate in the inside lane when he swerved to the outside lane to avoid a collision with the guardrail that was laying in the inside lane because of the truck crash. The right rear of the pickup hit the left rear of a Toyota Yaris subcompact car driven in the outside lane by Roberto Rodriguez, 40, of Lehigh.

Upon impact, the pickup swerved back into the inside lane, where it struck the guardrail and came to final rest in the inside lane facing south. The Yaris car came to final rest facing south on the outside shoulder.

The only person injured in the crash was a passenger in the Camry. Savanah Endicott received minor injuries, according to the FHP.